Trent Green Joins the Miami Dolphins; Daunte Culpepper Resistant to Team's Plans for Trade [/URL][URL="http://javascript<b></b>:photoPopup('D8PJOPE80')"]http://southeastkansas.cox.net/cci/apimages/ap-image-46c80916-0b1e-4584-a266-ba6acd691b4b.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:photoPopup('D8PJOPE80'))Miami Dolphins quarterback Trent Green smiles as he answers questions during a news conference Wednesday, June 6, 2007, in Davie, Fla., after the announcement of a deal in which Miami acquired him from the Kansas City Chiefs for a fifth-round draft pick in 2008. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)06-06-2007 11:41 PM
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer

http://southeastkansas.cox.net/cci/portal/images/speaker.gif (http://southeastkansas.cox.net/cci/apaudio/ap-audio-20070606223812-373.mp3) Listen to audio (http://southeastkansas.cox.net/cci/apaudio/ap-audio-20070606223812-373.mp3) DAVIE, Fla. (Associated Press) -- Trent Green swallowed hard, then tried to list every Miami Dolphins starting quarterback since Dan Marino's retirement seven seasons ago. It took him a minute, but he eventually got most of the 10 names right. "You're not going to find anyone to replace Dan Marino," Green said.
Fortunately for Green, the Dolphins aren't asking him to replace Marino. They're merely asking him to replace Daunte Culpepper.
Green's long-awaited trade to Miami finally got done Wednesday, after he passed a physical and was acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2008. The deal was finished hours after Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller and coach Cam Cameron told Culpepper they would try to trade him, essentially ending his one-year stint in South Florida.
Culpepper wasn't happy with that development, saying he is "not interested in being traded." But the 36-year-old Green was ecstatic that the move he'd waited weeks for finally became reality.
"I do feel for his situation," Green said. "It's no fun. I went through it, obviously, in Kansas City this past few months. ... Hopefully things will get cleared up quickly for him, because I know it's no fun. The whole hanging-in-limbo thing, that's not fun for anybody."
Green agreed to a new contract with the Dolphins weeks ago, once he became convinced that Kansas City, for whom he spent 5 1/2 seasons as a starter, wouldn't give him a fair chance to compete with Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard _ one of those other Dolphins starters besides Marino since 1999 _ for the starting job in 2007.
Green threw for 21,459 yards and 118 touchdowns in Kansas City, but missed eight games last season because of a concussion suffered in the season opener.
"They wanted to get younger," said Green, who had three years left on his deal in Kansas City and cannot enter into a new arrangement with Miami until the existing contract is on the Dolphins' books for 24 hours, under league rules. "I understand that."
So he set his sights on the Dolphins, who traded for Culpepper before the 2006 season.
Culpepper, though, was hobbled in his four-game on-field stint, getting sacked 21 times before Miami shut him down for the remainder of the year. And when Mueller and Cameron learned Green was available earlier this offseason, they didn't hesitate beginning pursuit.
"It was a matter of getting it done," Cameron said. "And now it's done."
Culpepper is due to make $5.5 million this season and is still trying to recover from surgery to repair three torn right knee ligaments, an injury suffered in 2005 when he was with the Minnesota Vikings. He'd been largely a spectator for most Miami offseason practices, but received clearance from orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and members of the Dolphins' medical staff to resume football activity earlier this week.
"It will be up to them to either keep me under contract or release me," Culpepper said in an e-mail. "In the meantime I will continue to work out at the facility with the team and prepare myself for training camp, wherever it may be."
Cameron said he and Mueller are "working through some things" concerning Culpepper's future.
"By Friday we can probably shed a little more light on that subject," Cameron said. "But today is about Trent Green. ... We're thrilled that Trent is here."
It's clear Miami wouldn't have kept both Culpepper and Green. The Dolphins recently re-signed backup Cleo Lemon to a one-year deal, and chose Brigham Young quarterback John Beck in the second round of this year's draft after passing on Notre Dame's Brady Quinn with the ninth overall pick _ which the Dolphins used on receiver-returner Ted Ginn Jr., of Ohio State.
Green would have made $7.2 million this season with the Chiefs. The Dolphins offered the Chiefs a sixth-round pick long before April's draft, but Kansas City reportedly insisted on a fourth-round selection.
"Trent has been a major contributor to the Kansas City Chiefs these past six years," Chiefs president Carl Peterson said. "We wish Trent and his family much success in Miami."
Green and Cameron have a long relationship. Both are former Indiana quarterbacks, and Cameron was Washington Redskins quarterbacks coach when Green was a third-stringer there in 1995 and 1996. Cameron even was the person whom Green credits for rescuing his NFL career; the 222nd overall pick in the 1993 draft was languishing in the CFL when Cameron convinced then-Redskins coach Norv Turner to sign him in 1995.
"I definitely feel a connection with Cam," Green said. "And I owe him a lot."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

Canada

06-07-2007, 05:15 PM

Is this the new "Caption this pic" contest?

Trent holds back the tears as he realizes he has made the biggest mistake of his career.

Chiefster

06-07-2007, 05:17 PM

Is this the new "Caption this pic" contest?

Trent holds back the tears as he realizes he has made the biggest mistake of his career.

LOL! I hadn't thought of that. :D

stlchief

06-08-2007, 11:13 PM

The biggest mistake of his career? C'mon. He made the only decision he could to salvage what's left of his career. His style doesn't exactly mesh with the new coach. We are now a ball control team. You do not whip the ball 40+ yards because you thought the receiver would break open. If you throw it over 40 yards, the defense better have had only 9 guys on the field and 2 of them fell down. Even if he had won the starting QB position, the style is all wrong to be successful. As a Chiefs fan, I appreciate everything Green did. And so as a Chiefs fan, I wish him well. But as a Chiefs fan, I definitely say it was the best decision for everyone involved...

Chiefster

06-09-2007, 05:24 AM

The biggest mistake of his career? C'mon. He made the only decision he could to salvage what's left of his career. His style doesn't exactly mesh with the new coach. We are now a ball control team. You do not whip the ball 40+ yards because you thought the receiver would break open. If you throw it over 40 yards, the defense better have had only 9 guys on the field and 2 of them fell down. Even if he had won the starting QB position, the style is all wrong to be successful. As a Chiefs fan, I appreciate everything Green did. And so as a Chiefs fan, I wish him well. But as a Chiefs fan, I definitely say it was the best decision for everyone involved...

The only real mistake I see that Green made was not shopping around more; but then again perhaps Miami was the only team to show any real interest.

stlchief

06-09-2007, 02:32 PM

He went where there are people he trusts. At this stage in his career I don't think you risk going to a team with a lot of unknowns. It's like any of us -- you have a choice to go look for jobs and there is a company saying we want you and one of your trusted mentors is there, it's a no-brainer.

Just too bad the Dolphins made him wait...

Chiefster

06-09-2007, 07:16 PM

He went where there are people he trusts. At this stage in his career I don't think you risk going to a team with a lot of unknowns. It's like any of us -- you have a choice to go look for jobs and there is a company saying we want you and one of your trusted mentors is there, it's a no-brainer.

Just too bad the Dolphins made him wait...

True, but you also shop around and keep your options open. JMHO

chief31

06-09-2007, 09:34 PM

He went where there are people he trusts. At this stage in his career I don't think you risk going to a team with a lot of unknowns. It's like any of us -- you have a choice to go look for jobs and there is a company saying we want you and one of your trusted mentors is there, it's a no-brainer.

Just too bad the Dolphins made him wait...

It was a bussiness decision, that he made, based on his personal interests. Had he entertained offers, from other oeganizations, he could have gotten to Miami, alot sooner. Not to mention, the Chiefs may have been given a better offer.

The biggest issue for Trent, now, is that he will be attempting to play without an offensive line. Miami lost the best OT they had, in free agency, to the Chiefs. And I don't even want him, here.

I wish him the best, but I worry for him, too.

timbok

06-09-2007, 10:13 PM

well..best of luck to trent..

Chiefster

06-10-2007, 05:17 AM

well..best of luck to trent..

He'll need it going to a team who's "O" line is as big a question mark as the one he left; Trent was going to need all the luck he could get either way, however, that is also assuming that he was going to be the starter here.